hawkins



Oct. 27, 1925. 1,558,478

w. W. HAwKlNs IGNITION SYSTEM Filed Fers. 2o. lsz

inni/ l l Patented Oct. 27, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE.

WILLIAM W. HAWKINS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, AS'SIGNOR T0 WEBSTER ELECTRIC COMPANY, 0F RACINE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

IGNITION sYs'rEM.

Application led February 20,' 1922. Serial No. 537,982.

of either the'movable or stationary arma,`

ture type. L

The armature or coil carrying element of the magneto carries two primary windings and a secondary winding, one of the primary windings preferably comprising a greater.

number of turns Athan the other primary winding. The secondary winding is connected in a high tension circuit in the. usual or any suitable manner. The primary windings lare connected with a suitable condenser and breaker mechanism which (zo-,operates with the primarywindings'in a novel manner presently to be explained.

In theV accompanying drawings illustrating my invention,

Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating my inv vention applied to an ignition system embodying a magneto of the rotating armature type; land i Figure 2 illustrates my invention applied to an `ignition system including a magneto which `comprises rotating inductors and a relatively stationaryA c ore structure upon which the windings are mounted. 1

Similar characters of referencerefer -to similar parts throughout the several views. Referring first to Figure 1, reference nu,-

. meral `10 indicates a magneto comprising magnet 11, pole pieces 12,k and a rotating armature 13 o f the familiar H-type. The magneto need differ essentially from well `known types of rotating armature machines onl)r with respect to the windings employed; hence, the magnet, pole pieces, armature, condenser and interrupter mechanism have been diagrammatically illustrated. The condenser is illustrated at- 14 and the interrupter mechanism at 15. At 16 is illustrated a grounding switch which is' closed only when the system is to be put out of commis- Sion., At 17 iS illustrated a conventional distributor mechanism adapted to distribute high tension current to spark plugs 18, rin the usual manner.

The core of armature 13 carries primary windings A and B and a secondary winding C which consists of a large number of turns of wire smaller than that used in the primaries. In accordance with my invention, primary B preferably consists of a greater number of turns than primary A. For instance, primary B may comprise twice as many turns as primary A. In practice, theA windings A,'B and Care arranged concentrically, but in Figure'l, for clearness, -I have illustrated the primary windings A and B as disposed end to end upon the core which is common to all of the windings.

Winding 'C is connected in the secondary or high Atension circuit of the ignition systemfin the usual manner, one end of said winding being grounded, andthe other end thereof being connectedy with the liyer of distributor 17. vOne end of eachof the primary windings is grounded, the insulated terminals of these windings being brought together as illustrated. When the interrupter contacts are closed, the insulated terminals of the primary windings are grounded. The condenser, connected `on one side with the insulated interrupter contact, and on the other side with ground, serves to prevent arcing at the contacts, and likewise cooperates with the primary windings as will presently appear. Switcl1"16 is closed only `-when the system is to be put out of commis'- sion.` l

r1,"he distributor and interrupter mechanism are, of course, operated in timed relation to the magneto rotor, the interrupter being arranged to open twice during each revolution of the rotor. -pIn the magneto shown in Figure 1, thefinterrupter contacts preferably open each timethe trailing edges of the armature `are leaving the pole pieces.

'Now let us assume that the magneto of 100 Figure 1 is in operation, and that the trailing edges of the armature are about ready to leave the pole pieces. `A eurent wave 1s created in each of the primary windings,

but at this time neither of thesewaves inter- 1,05

feres w-ith the other because each ofthe primary windings is short circuited through ground. When the interrupter opens, ground is `disconnected from the msulated terminals of the primary windings.

when 11 the primary producing vthis occurs, the current present in the lar er primary winding B, augmented by a ischarge from condenser 14, surges through surges through primary A flows in the d1- rectlon opposite to the direction of the current generated in primary prior to the opening of the contacts. rimary A, therefore, tends to change its polarity in opposition to the flow of ux as established in the armature by the pole structure of the machine and, in all probability, the electromagnetic field built up around coil B prior to the opening of the interrupter contacts dies rapidly away. At any rate, the herein describedoperation of the magneto causes the induction in the secondary winding C of a high tension ignition current capable of ignition sparks far superior to those which can be procured by the .use of a magneto of the conventional type employing a single primary winding. A high tension ignition-current is induced in secondary twice during each revolution of armature 13.

In Figure 2 I have trated the improvements'of my present in -vention applied to an ignition system which includes a well known type of magneto em, bodying a stationary armature or coil carrym whic i, when operated, reverse the direction of flux ilow throu h the stationary coil carrying structure. ofar as my invention is concerned, the ignition system illustrated in Figure 2 functions in exactly the same manner as does the system illustrated in Figure 1. I shall, therefore, refrain from describiIri'g the details of the magneto shown in 1 this kind is shown and described in United States Reissue Patent, Number 14,37 3, dated October 2, 1917. A

I appreciate that my present theoryhere inbefore explained, with respect to the reasons for the excellent perfomance of the system herein shown and described may be somewhat incomplete. I do know, however, that the ignition system hereinvdescribed delivers exceptionally hot s arks.

While I prefer to provide the primary winding B with more turns thanprimary A, I appreciate that a suitable arrangement providing a mere 'excess'of capacity 1n coil B would operate in much the same manner.

A. The current. which thus` diagrammatically illusstructure and rotors or inductors re 3, but will state that a magneto of.

' This statement also holds true regarding a and number of turns.

Having thus illustrated and described by invention, I do not limit myself tothe particular construction and arrangement of parts herein shown and described, but wish to claim all practical embodiments of the invention defined by the appended claims.

What I desire to secure by Letters Patent and what I claim isi 1. In a magneto, a rotor and a stator, one

of said magneto elements comprising a core, a primary winding comprising two generating coils wound about said core in the same direction, corresponding ends of said coils being grounded, an interrupter having one contact grounded and the other contact connected to the non-grounded ends of said coils, and a secondary coil in inductive re'- lationl to said primary coils vand core, but

C conductively separated therefrom.

2. In a magneto, arotor and a stator, one of said magneto elements comprising a core, a primary winding comprising two enerating coils wound about said c'ore in t e same direction, corresponding ends of said coils being grounded, an interrupter having onev contact grounded and the othercontact con- I nected to the non-grounded ends of said coils, in parallel, a condenser in bridge of said interrupter contacts, and a secondary '.coilin inductive relation to said primary coils and core, but conductively separated therefrom.

3. In a magneto, a rotor and a stator, one of said magneto elements comprising 'aoore, a primary winding comprisingtwo generating coils wound around said core m the same direction, one of said windings comprising a greater number of turns than the other, corresponding ends ofcsaid coils being grounded, an interrupter having one contact grounded and the other contact con-l nected tothe nonrounded ends of said coils in parallel, a con enser in bridge of said interrupter contacts, and a secondary coil in inductive relation to said primary coils and core,.but conductively separated therefrom. In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 27th day of January, 1922.

WILLIAM w. HAwKrNs, 

